Survey Says 27 Is the "Magic Age" for Body Confidence

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When it comes to appearances, the best may not be yet to come. In fact, most people feel their looks peak in their late twenties, then head downhill.

According to the Today/AOL Ideal to Real Body Image Survey, both men and women say the age they feel the best about their bodies is 27. [Tweet this fact!] However, 28 is the age people tend to feel the best about their overall appearances, and 34 is when we feel we "experience the most success."

Just in case you foolishly thought there was a chance it's not all downhill from here (ha!), two-thirds of all adults name an age younger than their current one as the time they felt the best about their looks, according to the survey, which included responses from more than 2,000 adults.

That said, all is not lost. The survey also found that we tend to relax about our looks and those of others as we age (good to know there's more to life than being ridiculously beautiful, I guess). On the other hand, millenials believe themselves to be in the prime of their looks but are too nervous to enjoy it: Sixty-nine percent of 16- to 34-year-olds say they regularly worry about their looks. Lastly, people ages 50 to 68 said they worried less about basically everything—appearances, finances, health, relationships, family, or personal success—than younger respondents. "Life happens, and the emphasis on appearance tends to diminish when people get older and they find other things in their lives where they get nourishment, enjoyment, and happiness," body image expert Sarah Maria Dresibach told Today.